Ar-15 factory packaging.

[bimmer]

My family used to own a packing/shipping business. A 25 piece of 12x12x12 boxes was about 1.50 a box. Keep in mind that most of the rifle boxes have graphics printed on them and are a lot bigger. And then they stuff them with other useless pieces of cardboard that hardly ever go back in right when boxing them back up, after a customer buys a rifle. I guess one reason for using cardboard is that it takes up a lot less space since it is recieved flat.

I would just expect more from a top tier manufacturer. Even the latest noveske rifles come in cardboard. At least they have foam in the boxes though. PSA ships their stuff in a cardboard box also (I know, not top tier, but I foresee them becoming close) and they come in a NICE box with the same foam that you find in a hard case. My KRISS came in a hard case, but after adding an eotech 512 it will no longer fit.